THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Sutton Bank and the White Horse great artists and writers, from escarpment bends sharp left (end Walk information Wordsworth to Turner. Our route of the glider runway on your left). passes the Yorkshrie Gliding Club, Follow the clear path round to the Distance: 5.8 km / 3.6 miles as the steep escarpment provides left then straight on for 300 metres Time: 2 hours the perfect air currents for gliders. to reach the top of the White Horse. This is one of the oldest gliding Maps: OS Explorer Sheet OL26 - clubs in the country with many always carry a map on your walk famous former members including Follow the path along the top of Parking: Pay and Display car park Amy Johnson, who famously flew 3the White Horse, just after which at Sutton Bank Visitor Centre solo from England to Australia in follow the steps that lead steeply Refreshments: Cafe at Sutton 1930. down beside the White Horse to Bank Visitor Centre reach the car park at the foot of the White Horse. As you reach the Terrain: Clear paths all the way, At Roulston Scar the escarpment car park, turn immediately right with a level path along the top of turns 90 degrees to reveal a across the car park and through Sutton Bank escarpment and cliffs vast panorama across much of the barrier (green waymarker). (Roulston Scar), and a woodland Yorkshire (warning: there are cliffs After the barrier, follow the track. There is a steep descent down here). We soon come to the famous clear wide path straight on into down beside the White Horse and White Horse, which was created woodland for 175 metres to reach a a steep ascent along a rough path in 1857 by local schoolchildren fork in the path where you follow back up onto the escarpment. The and 31 volunteers; the idea of local the right-hand path straight on escarpment path is exposed to the businessman Thomas Taylor of (ignore the green waymarker to the elements. Kilburn, who worked as a merchant left). Follow this path straight on How to get there: Sutton Bank in London and had seen the famous up a gentle rise, then drop down to Visitor Centre (North York Moors chalk hill figures of southern reach a path junction at the bottom National Park) lies along the A170 England and wanted something of the slope after 200 metres, where to the east of Thirsk at the top of similar for his home village. It is the clearer wide path bends sharp the steep hair-pin bends of Sutton kept white with stone chippings right (red waymarker). Follow Bank. and paint. The views from the top this clear path round to the right, Please note: Take care crossing of the White Horse are extensive, then carry straight on meandering the A170 at the start and end of this stretching away in the distance through woodland passing below walk. Take extreme care walking towards York. Our route drops the cliffs of Roulston Scar (fallen along the top of the escarpment down into the ancient woodland boulders) for 600 metres to reach – keep to the path at all times as below the cliffs and escarpment, an obvious fork in the track (red there are cliffs. This walk includes with impressive views back up waymarker). a steep descent and ascent. Do not towards Roulston Scar. Spring walk onto the Gliding Club runway. flowers abound in this woodland. Follow the right-hand path Points of interest 4rising quite steeply up through woodland (handrail) all the way The walk back up onto the escarpment of HIS is a straight forward the Hambleton Hills, to emerge by walk, full of interest and From Sutton Bank Visitor Centre passing the viewpoint, and continue hand path to quickly reach the top the Glider Club information sign. variety with fantastic 1(with your back to the entrance on along the clear path to reach the of the escarpment (Sutton Bank). Turn left along the clear path and views, and a great cafe T and with the A170 across to your side-road beside the road junction Follow the clear path straight on re-trace your steps straight on back at the end of the walk – right), walk to the left across the at the top of Sutton Bank (with along the top of the escarpment along the escarpment path all the ideal for the family over Easter. car park and through woodland the A170 just to your right). Cross heading through woodland for 375 way back to the A170 at Sutton (away from the A170) to soon reach The walk along the top of Sutton the side road and follow the path metres to emerge from the trees, Bank. Cross with care back to a side road (with some road-side reach the car park. Bank is one of the finest viewpoints straight on for 50 metres walking with fantastic views to your right in England, as the signpost says! parking) where you take the clear parallel with the main road then, (information board ‘Turner and From this magnificent inland cliff footpath opposite (signpost ‘Finest just before the large purple Sutton Sutton Bank’). Continue straight there are far-reaching views across View in England”). Follow this very Bank National Park Centre sign, Mark Reid on along the clear escarpment Walking Weekends 2017 the steep wooded slopes towards clear path straight on, soon bending turn right and cross over the main path, with the grassy runway of Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Gormire Lake (the North York sharp left then meandering through road (with care) at the crossing Moors last remaining glacial lake) heather and scattered trees for a the gliding club on your left and Lake District & Snowdonia point just by the old ‘Thirsk 6’ fantastic views to your right, for walkingweekenders.co.uk Hood Hill and the flat vales of York while before bending sharp left road sign (signpost ‘Cleveland Way, a further 1.3 km along the top and Mowbray stretching away again (signpost) – follow this path White Horse’). Unique corporate activity days, into the distance, with Simon’s straight on for 450 metres to reach of the escarpment to reach the navigation skills and team building Seat, Great Whernside and Pencil the clear path along the top of the promontory of Roulston Scar experiences in the great outdoors. clearly visible some 30 miles away. escarpment of the Hambleton Hills. Follow the clear path straight on, (danger – cliffs, keep to the path), teamwalking.co.uk This view has inspired many Turn left along the clear path, soon 2which soon forks – follow the left- where the path along the top of the Birdwatch By Ian Kerr HE steady build-up of feeding over Castle Lake at Bishop is one of those very high pitched its range, little ringed plover, was over Houghton-le-Spring and regular summer visitors has Middleham, although swallows songs that many older birders, also back at several potential great white egret, spoonbill T continued and a few good are still distinctly scarce. me included, have difficulty in breeding sites. Migrant ospreys and garganey, all at Saltholme. spring rarities have also occurred, One of most elusive visitors, hearing, sadly, another of the were seen over Bainbridge and A drake ferruginous duck of no doubt helped by the gloriously grasshopper warbler, has also penalties of old age. It’s a sound East Chevington while on Monday unknown origin was back at warm and sunny weather of last started to arrive. Singing birds that rises and falls as the hidden one female appeared to have Washington after wandering into weekend. were reported from Maidendale birds turn their heads, often already started to lay at Kielder. south Northumberland and a Willow warblers, pictured, and local nature reserve in Darlington making it even harder to catch. While these migrants were drake ring-necked duck remained blackcaps have now joined the and at the South Gare, Rainton Other larger species are also settling in some of our resident at Hauxley. The best rarity, a red- numerous chiffchaffs singing Meadows and, further north, at settling in to start breeding. early breeders were already rumped swallow, briefly visited across our woodlands. An early East Chevington. Notorious for There was a count of 23 avocets well into the season. Some song East Chevington. redstart was in Weardale and spending most of their time in from Greenabella Marsh thrushes and blackbirds are newly-arrived yellow wagtails the deep cover of reeds, scrub and this week. Half a dozen were already feeding young broods. I were at Saltholme and Hetton long grass, it’s nearly always their also at Saltholme and eight was talking to a farmer in north Lyons. More wheatears and ring continuous buzz of a song which gathered at Cresswell Pond Durham this week who has well- ouzels have moved into upland first reveals their presence. This in Northumberland, the most grown young tawny owls in a nest breeding territories. Many more is referred to as “reeling” as it northerly breeding locality so far box on his land. Sand Martins have also arrived, really does sound like the noise of colonised. Another wader species Rarer spring sightings included including an impressive 400 an angler playing out his line. It near the northern extremity of a probably rough-legged buzzard.